Annual Report 2011
The state of the world's human rights

Abolish the death penalty

USA

The USA’s refusal to end executions leaves it increasingly isolated as year by year more countries abolish the death penalty in law or practice. Among the first to do so were some of the USA’s closest neighbours in Central and South America. The global trend is clear – it is time for the USA to join it.

The death penalty in the USA is marked by arbitrariness, discrimination and error. Since 1976, more than 130 prisoners have been released from death row on grounds of innocence.

Amnesty International is calling on the US government to lead by example, suspending federal executions and passing laws to abolish the federal death penalty. The authorities in individual states that have the death penalty should also work to end it in their jurisdictions.

Find out more about the death penalty.

Take action now and help stop the execution of people on death row in the USA.

Read about the death penalty in the USA.

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When Amnesty International was created in 1961, only nine countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes. At the start of 2011, that number had risen to 96 countries.

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Campaigns - Abolish the Death Penalty

Iran

Iranian authorities acknowledged 252 executions in 2010 – there were probably ...
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Mongolia

The Mongolian parliament is considering abolition of the death penalty. Amnesty ...
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Saudi Arabia

Nigerian national Suliamon Olyfemi and Indonesian national Siti Zainab Binti Duh...
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Belarus

In Belarus, prisoners are told they will be executed just moments before their d...
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